World Of Chances
by dylan5564
Summary: When Mac is left as a single father after Claire dies, what does the world have in store for him? More importantly what does his daughter have in store for her father? T just in case for later chapters. May eventually turn into SMacked. Will be updated every Thursday. But updates may come sooner.
1. Chapter 1

World Of Chances

**A/N: I don't know. I was watching the show and then was like "What if Mac had a kid?" And then yeah this happened. I don't even know. And there will probably be lyrics from different songs in each chapter that I find relevant. So lets go on a journey with Bethany Taylor. This may eventually turn into SMacked. But I don't know. I'm just going to see where it takes me. This is going to updated every Thursday after this chapter. But updates may come sooner depending on muse and all. **

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Bethany. **

**September 11th 2001 **

Some things we don't talk about  
Rather do without  
And just hold the smile  
Falling in and out of love  
Ashamed and proud of  
Together all the while

"**Dada!"** A little girl, no more then two, screamed as her father carried her into his work. It was a slightly unusual sight to see Mac at work with his daughter but the daycare had called saying there was a building problem and seeing as neither Mac or Claire had family in the city they decided Bethany would go to work with Mac. The plan was Bethany was go to lab for about an hour, let Stella get her Bethany fix and then take her down to the daycare a few floors down. **"Beth, calm down girlie."** Mac set her down and watched as she went running for his office. **"Dada."** She looked at Mac who for a minute tuned his daughter out. **"Dada?"** Mac stared out the window, his mouth gaped open. Claire was in there, in the trade center. And now it was burning. For a moment, time stopped, for a simple moment Mac forgot about that little girl at his feet. All he could think about was the fact that not one but both buildings had now been hit. Bethany tugged at his pant leg which brought him back to reality. **"Beth. Let's go play in daddy's office."**

Mac worked on a case report trying to avoid looking outside while Bethany sat on his lap and colored. He wanted to go down to the site, help with evacuation and rescue efforts but everyone in the lab had been ordered to say put, that they would be needed for trace when it came in. Stella walked in to Mac's office, her face sullen. "Heard my favorite girl was here." She was covered in dust and debris. "Hey Bethany." Bethany looked up and cocked her head. **"Aunt 'Ella?"** Stella smiled at the little girl and looked up at Mac. **"Yes, it's Aunt Stella. I'm all dirty huh?"** She got down on her knees and looked Bethany. **"Dirt."** Bethany climbed off her dad's lap and stuck a finger up to Stella's face, wiping a bit of dirt off. **"Stella, how's it down there?"** Mac looked at her,his face clearly upset. ** "Ya know. It's crazy."** She shrugged her shoulders and stood back up. **"Why'd you go down there? You know the commissioner said to have all CSI guys stay where they were." **Mac eyed Stella and gave a slight laugh as Bethany sat intently at Stella's feet trying to wipe the dirt and debris off. **"I don't know why. Felt like I had to." **Mac couldn't help but agree. If he didn't have Bethany with him, he'd have been down there too. **"Dirt! Yuck." **Bethany had decided to join in, commenting on the dirt that was giving her issues. **"Yes, dirt Bethany. And yes it's yucky. Come finish coloring your picture for momma." **Mac looked at his daughter who climbed back up on his lap.

"**Mac." **The voice of Stella brought Mac back to reality. **"Did you forget about a little one?" **She stood holding the hand of Bethany who looked at her dad with a no-nonsense look which seemed impressive for a two year old. **"Where was she? She was supposed to be taking a nap." **Stella shook her head, she knew Mac was worried about Claire and as a result wasn't paying very much attention to his daughter. **"Mac. Look, I'm heading home. You go down there, look for Claire. Let me take Beth okay?" **She looked at her partner with a look of sympathy. **"No. Stella, I can't ask you do that." ** Mac looked at her and at Bethany who was still standing next to Stella. **"Mac. Look, you can't be a cop, worry about your wife and be there for your daughter all at the same damn time. Let me take Bethany. You aren't asking, I'm offering." **The sound of Stella's voice was sincere but stern. **"It's not a big deal. And she's a good kid." **She cocked her head and looked at Mac who simply gave a death glare at his partner. **"Fine. But you bring her back here in the morning." **Stella nodded and agreed to the deal. **"I'll stop your place and grab a few things for her." **Mac looked at Stella and shook his head. **"Nah. In the back of my car there's a backpack with spare stuff for Beth. I'm gonna head down to WTC in a few minutes so if you want to hang out for like ten minutes I'll grab it for ya. Again, thanks Stel. I don't really have any clue on how to thank you." **Mac looked at the woman he considered to be his best friend. His voice was filled sorrow and anger. Stella picked Bethany up and set her on her hip. **"C'mon, Mac. I want to go home and shower. And I know you want to get down to the Trade Center. Let's go." **She walked out of the office and listened as Bethany held out the hope only a two year old could. **"Mommy's coming home. Mommy's otay." **She kept repeating this as if to comfort not only herself but everyone else around her.

Mac stormed downtown Manhattan, being told that he couldn't go in, that the rest of the structures were unstable and that was why they were pulling rescue crews out. He was pissed, pissed at the situation, pissed that Claire actually went into work, and just pissed in general at the world. He shook his head and walked into a deli. The man was handing out free sandwiches to whomever came in. Mac muttered a thanks and sat down. Just then, tower 7 came down, pancaking it's self, sending Mac and about 2 dozen other rescue workers to the ground. He cursed and got up after the dust had settled. Besides a few scratches everyone was okay. Of course they all wanted to know what happened and that was when a fire chief came in and said tower 7 had collapsed. Mac sighed heavily and the first question out of his mouth was if he could go down there yet. The fire chief nodded and he went running, he had to go find Claire. This was his main priority.

Stella walked around her apartment, getting ready to shower. She was still covered in dirt and debris. She listened as Bethany followed her around, bouncing informing her that everything was okay, that mommy would come home. That no one was hurt and Stella just smiled, wishing that everyone could have the same outlook on the world that a toddler did. **"Aunt 'Ella?" **The little girl climbed up on Stella's bed, clad in a pair of red, heart patterned one piece pajamas. She was the spitting image of her father except for her hair which was red just like her mother. **"Yeah, Bethie?"** Stella turned around to face the little girl who was the closest thing to a niece she had. **"Mommy and daddy come home?" **The look on Bethany's face was intrigued and serious, she looked in a way scared of what was going to happen. **"I don't know if mommy will come home Bethany. Daddy will come home though. That I know." **She hugged the little girl and kissed the top of her head. **"It will be all be okay." **She whispered before handing Bethany a handful of paper and a pack of crayons that were found in her backpack. **"Stay here. I'll be back in a little while. I'm going to go shower." **She looked at Bethany who looked up and just went back to her coloring. By the time Stella got out, Bethany was sound asleep on her bed. **"Goodnight sweet girl." **Stella got dressed in her pajamas and picked Bethany and her stuffed bunny up and moved her to the other side of the bed, not wanting to move her to the guest room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**A/N: And here is the next chapter! We're fast forwarding a few years. Bethany's 6 in this chapter. And I realize that at one point in the first and at some point in the second paragraph is sounds accusatory towards Claire, I had no better way to word it nor did I mean it to sound like it was. I'm sorry to anyone who may find this offensive towards the character and/or the writers of the show. **

**DISCLAIMER: See first chapter. **

**October 22nd, 2005 **

Oh, and hope is the soul of the dreamer  
And heaven is the home of my God  
It only takes one true believer  
To believe you can still beat the odds

Mac looked at his little girl, dancing around the apartment in a bright pink tutu, matching leggings, and a shirt that read "I'm the birthday girl". He couldn't believe she was already six years old. It seemed just yesterday he was telling Claire that she was going to be a great mother, and for the two and half years that she was a part of Bethany's life she was an amazing mother. He stood there, while the soundtrack from _"The Little Mermaid" _played, thinking on how much Claire had missed, he still grieved even 4 year later. It hurt him to know that not only was he a widower but that Bethany was now motherless and that they had never gotten closure, seeing as Claire's body was never found. He smiled a bit a sad, sullen smile as Bethany spun in circles around the living room. **"Daddy?" **The voice of his daughter brought him back to the present day and he smiled down at her as she looked up at him with blue eyes that matched his own. **"When's Aunt Stella coming over?" **Bethany smiled up at her dad, knowing that because it was her birthday, her father, Stella, and her would be going out for dinner. It was something they had always done since Claire passed away. **"She should be here soon. Remember she couldn't take the day off today?" **Even though it was a Saturday Stella had been thrown with weekend duty. Bethany looked up at Mac and nodded an okay before heading back to her dancing.

There was a knock at the apartment door and Bethany ran over to it, knocking down a handful of pictures in the living room as she went. **"I do it daddy!" **Bethany unlocked the door even though she locked three times before actually undoing the lock. **"AUNT STELLA!" **Bethany's eyes lit up with excitement as she twirled around to show off how her tutu spun outwards when she spun. **"Aunt Stella? Can you do my hair in a pretty french braid? Daddy doesn't know how too." **Stella nodded and laughed as Bethany went running to sit in front of one of the kitchen table chairs. **"I swear Mac, I'm going to be teaching you how to do a simple braid one of these days."** Mac laughed, she was lucky he understood how to do a ponytail. It was moments like these that he wished he had a son, but he was more then happy with the life he had been given besides the whole long hair thing. He smiled as he watched Stella braid Bethany's hair. A small part of him felt that glad that Stella was so willing to be a part of Bethany's life, it gave her a mother figure to look up too. Another small part of him though felt angry because it should have been Claire who did all of this with Bethany. She should have been there to take her to her first dance lesson, see her first day of kindergarten, do her hair, see her go to prom, be at her wedding. He knew it was going to probably be Stella at all of those things, mainly because Stella insisted on going to Bethany's first day of school, her first dance lesson and almost always did her hair. Bethany came bouncing up to him, her hair in a braid and her tutu falling off. **"Aunt Stella did good job on your hair huh? And pull up your tutu sweet girl." **Bethany turned around to show off her braid and at the same time bent down to pull her tutu up. Mac looked at the braid, it looked easy enough to do.

Bethany sat in the back of Mac's SUV, talking all the way to Ihop. Neither Stella nor Mac were exactly listening as she was just starting to become a broken record with things she talked about. Suddenly, she stopped, her eyebrows furrowed and she was deep in thought. **"Everything okay back there Bethany?" **Bethany looked up at her dad, still deep in thought. **"Yeah, daddy. I have a question for you and Aunt Stella." **Stella and Mac shared a look, slightly scared of what was going to come out of the 6 year old's mouth. **"What is it?" **Stella turned around to face Bethany as far as the seat-belt would let her. **"I know I had a mommy. I know she died. She's in heaven. But daddy, are you and Aunt Stella going to get married? Then I'll have a mommy again." **Both adults stopped for a minute, trying process what had just been said. Stella blushed and Mac sighed at the question. **"Um. Well. Bethany, you are right about that. You did have a mommy and if I remarried you would have a mommy again." **Mac tried to dance around the main question. It wasn't something he really wanted to discuss with his 6 year old. **"Daddy. Aunt Stella's already like my mommy. Right? She comes with you to pick me up from school and she comes to all my dance recitals. She does everything all my friend's mommies do. So you guys should get married so she can be my mommy." **Bethany was serious and there was no denying Stella had in a sense became her surrogate mother after Claire died but sometimes she asked the strangest questions. **"Right. I do all the things other mommies do even though I'm not your mommy. Look Bethany, it's okay if I'm not married to your daddy because we love you and that's all that matters." **Stella hoped this would satisfy Bethany and not lead to anymore questions. She gave a small, stressed smile and turned around. **"Yeah, Like Stella said. We love you and it's all that matters. Now where did that question come from?" **Mac pulled into the parking lot of Ihop and shook his head. The places his daughter picked for dinner. **"I don't know. My friend Anna asked me why I didn't have a mommy. And then I told her Aunt Stella was like my mommy. And well then she said that didn't mean she was my mommy because you and her weren't married."** It all made sense now. School and recess conversations had happened and that's where the question came from. **"Okay. No more crazy questions." **Bethany nodded and for a few moments Mac really thought about what it would be like to have a relationship with Stella. The idea sounded pretty appealing before he realized it would never actually happen.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's the third chapter. I'm on a roll right now. This is going to skip forward about three years to when Bethany's about 8 1/2. Just a short little father/daughter drabble chapter before we get into the fun stuff. **

**DISCLAIMER: Again, see first chapter. **

June 9th, 2007

Freedom never cries...  
You can cry for her  
Die for her  
Lay down your life for her  
Kiss and wave Goodbye to her  
Anything at all

**"Dad? Why'd mommy go to work? You said she was going to stay home with me that day." **Mac and Bethany stood down at the temporary memorial site for 9/11 victims. School had just let out for the summer and Bethany had asked if they could go the memorial. **"Because.." **Mac's voice trailed off. That had been the original plan. Claire was going to stay home because the daycare had been having building issues. But then she had gotten called in for a meeting and though she had gotten out, Mac believed she went back in to help. That was the one thing he couldn't forgive her for doing. She had said she wanted to go back in, he had told her not too, just to come home. And then everything changed. Bethany was old enough for the truth he felt and that's what he was going to tell her. **"You didn't always go to the daycare at my work. You went to a different one for a few months. They called all the parents saying there was a building problem and your right mom was going to stay home with you. And then she got called into work." **Mac didn't know how to word the rest to make it sound okay to a 8 1/2 year old. He rubbed his face and tried to gather the words that were spinning in his head. **"She called me. I don't think you remember because you were with Aunt Stella at the time. But she called me. Said she had gotten out and was okay. I told her to come home but she wanted to help. That was always your mom. Wanting to help whenever she could. It's really unclear if she went back in or not but I believe she did go back in. She loved you more then anything in the world Beth. You were her little princess." **Mac looked at Bethany. As she grew older she showed so much more of her mother's personality. She was caring and always wanted to help people. Except she had Mac's stubbornness which caused for a lot of calls from school because she often refused to do something the teacher asked simply because she didn't feel like doing it. **"Why'd she go back in? Did she think about us?" **It was a loaded question but Bethany had a look in her eyes that was filled with anger and sadness and Mac knew he had to find an answer for it. **"Baby, I'm sure she did. I'm sure she was thinking about us when she went back in. I know why she went in, to help, but I don't know why she went back in when I know for a fact several people had told her not too including me." **Bethany looked at Mac and nodded. **"Okay. I guess that's good since she was trying to do the right thing. Do you think she died thinking of us?" **Mac nodded his head. He liked to think Claire did. **"Of course she did." **Mac smiled at Bethany who hugged him. **"Let's go home." **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: And now the fun parts. I don't even know what the heck is going on in my head so if you get confused, sorry I'm kind of confused as well. Also, if you don't have anything nice to say but feel the need to say it please pm it to me if it is merely just rudeness. Constructive criticism is okay in reviews but not being rude. Please no comments along the lines of "Well, this is stupid." or "Why are you even writing?" That being said, I haven't gotten any rude reviews and would prefer to keep that way. Thank you. I accept constructive criticism though. My rant is now done. I'm going to say Bethany's about 12 in this chapter. Also this is the last chapter until one of two things happen: it hits Thursday or I get 5 reviews. So start reviewing, I like to know when people are reading my story. **

**DISCLAIMER: Again, see chapter 1. If you missed you for the past three chapters, I don't own anything or anyone but Bethany. **

**December 17th, 2010**

I've got a paper and pen  
I go to write you goodbye and that's when I know  
I've got a world of chances for you,

It was Christmas break and New York city was blanketed in snow. It was the last day of school before the winter break for Bethany. She sat in her last hour, itching to get out. She couldn't wait to go to lab and see her family. People found it weird that she considered her dad's co-workers her family all except the new girl Jo. Bethany was still mad at her and Stella. The bell rang and she went running for her locker. Like every other kid in the middle school, Bethany was more then happy to get out for two weeks. She threw her heavy winter coat on and threw her backpack over her shoulder. She walked outside and looked for her dad's SUV. Her smile faded and she sat down in the snow, not worried about the fact it was going to make her wet. He said he was going to pick her up. He forgot again. She sat there for a few minutes before standing up and looking around again. She sighed and looked at all her friends who had gotten their parents to pick them up. _"Lucky." _She thought as she watched her best friend Marie get picked up by both her parents. There was a time when her dad and Stella would both pick her up. Now, it was just her dad when he didn't get caught up at work. She started the walk to the lab knowing it was pointless to hang out at the school waiting for her dad.

Bethany collected her thoughts, not wanting to tell her dad off. She stood alone in the elevator, she pulled her ponytail down and looked around memorizing the buttons, the tiling, and anything else in the elevator she could. It stopped, the doors opened and it took a minute for her to realize that she was at the lab. She ran out quickly, her hair failing out behind her. **"Hey Uncle Danny!" **She waved at Danny and stopped just short of her dad's office. She stood there for a minute watching as her dad held a conversation with someone. She stared the person down, not because it was just another person from the lab but because of all people it was Stella Bonasera. Bethany looked around and every one was doing something. Being the daughter the supervisor had it's perks no one ever asked you what you were doing and at that moment in time Bethany was more then happy about that. She stormed into Mac's office clearly upset about being forgotten at school and about Stella being back. **"You forgot me again." **She looked at her dad, lips pierced and eyebrows furrowed. **"I got caught up with something. I'm sorry Beth." **Bethany looked at him and turned around to face Stella. **"You got caught up with her huh? **The 12 year old's voice was accusatory and angry. Stella looked in shock at Bethany, as if this was not the expected reaction from her and in really wasn't. **"Hi. Welcome back. You here for the weekend or you here for something else?" **Bethany looked at Stella, her blue eyes showed her anger at the situation, she looked on the verge on tears.** "Bethany. Look, I know I walked out on you. I'm so sorry for that."** Stella's expression softened and Bethany just looked at her in shock. **"Walked out?! You left without telling anyone but dad! I at least deserved a goodbye seeing as you were the only mother figure I ever had!" **Bethany started crying, not wanting to hold it in any longer. She shook her head. First, she was forgotten at school and now Stella felt she could just come waltzing back into her life. **"Why? Why'd you leave Aunt Stella? It's been lonely without you." **Her guard dropped, which was a rare occurrence for Bethany. She just had been taught to not trust people until they proved themselves trustworthy. **"It was job offer for the New Orleans Crime Lab. The head of their lab left and they needed someone. Look, I realized I shouldn't have gone when I got there but I had to stay a little bit." **Stella turned to notice the other lab employees staring at Mac's office and she shared a look with Mac who got up to tell them to get back to work. **"Aunt Stella. We missed you. My birthday was weird without you. Lucy misses you too." **Bethany slid down against the wall and put her head in her hands. **"Why though? You could have said no." **Stella sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. **"I could have yeah, but I don't know. I guess I wanted to get away from New York for a bit." **Stella sat and held Bethany, knowing it had to be hard to have someone so close to you just walk out and walk back in. **"I'm so sorry. I realize now I should have told you." **Mac walked in and sat down on the other side of Bethany. A smile found it's way out in the midst of the tears from Bethany. She stood up, laughing at the thought that just entered her mind. **"You know for a minute there we were an actual family." **She looked at them, a longing expression in her eyes. She wanted a family, not this makeshift family. Not the craziness that this family was. Not the dysfunctional, awkward family they had become. She wanted a mom. She was just plain tired of explaining the situation to people.

"**What?" **Mac looked at Bethany with a confused look. She hadn't mentioned anything like this for a few years. **"I said, for a minute we were an actual family. We weren't trying to explain that Aunt Stella was simply a co-worker I had known for a long time or anything like that. For a moment we were a family and it was nice." **Bethany walked out the office and looked around. She headed for the break room, where she knew she could at least get a little privacy before having to answer more questions from her dad. She walked in and threw herself down on a chair. She didn't really want to be around people at that moment. She needed to collect her thoughts, think about what as was going through her head, she wanted to figure out if what she had said even was warranted for anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yay for a fifth chapter. I don't think I've ever written this much! And sorry it's late. This week's spring break so I should be able to get a few chapters up. Bethany's 14 in this. And again, please read and review. I like knowing people are reading my stuff. I'm going to say there are only a few more chapters (two or three) left before I end it. I do plan on writing a sequel that is full out SMacked. This chapter and the next couple will probably end up leading into it. **

**DISCLAIMER: See Chapters 1 or 4. **

**January 15th, 2013**  
Slow down you crazy child  
You're so ambitious for a juvenile  
But then if you're so smart tell me,  
Why are you still so afraid?

Bethany sat on the couch. It was almost 10pm and she was dead tired but she didn't want to go to bed. Not until her dad got home. She sat staring at the TV, not even sure of what she was watching. She was happy that Stella and her dad had finally gotten together. All those years of dancing around their feelings, even at times attempting to avoid each other. And Stella going as far as leaving New York for six months to go to New Orleans. Bethany was happy not only for them but for herself because maybe they'd be an actual family. That dream from when she was young never truly faded. She still wanted to be a real family, have a mom, and not always dance around the subject that Stella wasn't her mom although according to multiple people she looked like Stella. She laughed at the thought. It was a silly thing, what she hoped for. A family. How many 15 year old girls hoped for that? They hoped for boyfriends and here she was hoping for a family. A real family. She laid down on the couch and fell asleep.

Mac walked in, Stella following behind him. The pair smiled at the sleeping teenager on the couch. It wasn't long ago that Bethany would fight to sleep on the couch if Stella was watching her. Mac leaned down and whispered that he was home. Bethany woke up and blinked to focus her vision. She looked up and smiled at her dad.** "Hi daddy."** Her voice was heavy with sleep, her hair frizzy and sticking up in strange ways. She sat up and looked around. **"How'd your date go dad?"** Stella stood back, simply watching the pair interact. For someone who had always said he wasn't good with kids, Mac was great with his own daughter. **"I'll tell you in the morning, sweet pea. Why don't you go to your own room and sleep there k?" **

With Bethany in her own room, Mac smiled at Stella who returned it. **"I had a good time, Mac. First time in a long time. Thank you." **Stella walked towards the door, ready to leave. It had been a long night and wanted to get some sleep before work the next day. **"Stella, wait. I'm glad you had a good time. I need to tell you something." **Stella turned around, caught off guard. Usually she just went home after a couple of goodnights and Mac not saying much because he just wasn't that type. **"What's up Mac?" **Stella stood there, a slightly confused look on her face. **"Stel. Thank you." **He took a deepbreath trying to collect his thoughts. **"Wait. What are you thanking me for?" **Stella turned around, watching as Mac looked insecure and scared. Something that wasn't often seen in the man. **"Just thank you. You didn't have to do everything you have done that last 10 years for us. You stepped up after Claire died and became the mother figure that Bethany would have never had. You didn't have to do that, you didn't have to do anything. You could have stepped back, pretend like it was all ok. You came and helped when I, we needed it the most Stella. You didn't have to do that but you did and thank you. " **Mac stopped, not knowing if any of what he had just said made sense. Stella just stood there and stared at him, it wasn't like Mac to admit that he had needed help even though she had known he needed it. **"Mac. I know I didn't have to do any of that. But I felt like I had too. And you needed help whether you were going to admit it or not." **Stella walked over and sat down next to him on the couch. **"No matter what happened or whats going to happen, Mac, I have loved you and will still love you and Beth. Claire died for a reason maybe we don't know that reason but one day we will."**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Final chapter. I'm probably going to post up several one-shots to go along and a sequel sometime this summer be on the look out for that. Sorry it's short. Whoo, clifhanger. You'll have to wait until this summer for the sequel!**

**DISCLAIMER: Really? Bethany's mine, no other characters are.**

**April 6th, 2014**

Well I never had a place that I could call my very own  
That's all right, my love, 'cause you're my home

A family, that's what they finally were. Bethany finally had that feeling. She sat on the lawn of their new townhouse, her hair pulled up in a ponytail. It was after school and she had been more then grateful to be home. She sat there just thinking. She knew she should have been practicing her color-guard routine but she wasn't. Instead she sat thinking about how life could have been different if her real mother had came home like her father had told her too, how everything could have changed. She was brought out of her thoughts when Stella came up behind her and touched her shoulder. Bethany jumped. "Stella!** You know not to scare me!" **Bethany fell back laughing. After just over a year of dating and finally Stella and Mac were engaged, Bethany had been thrilled about this. **"I know but I couldn't help it goof." **Bethany laid on the grass smiling. She looked up at the sky and couldn't help but go into another fit of laughter. **"Go get ready. We have Lindsay's baby shower to go to." **Bethany was still unsure why Lindsay was having another baby shower since she had one when she had Lucy but she was excited to go since she wasn't able to go to the last one. It was really only a cover story though for them all going city hall. **"Okay. What should I be wearing?" **Bethany yelled as she walked in the house. Mac laughed, no matter how hard he tried he saw Claire in his daughter but also Stella. Those little traits she had picked up through the years of being with Stella. And yet no matter what he saw himself in his daughter. Not the looks, she was the spitting image of Claire but again little traits of his personality shone threw in her. **"Wear that dress you wore for homecoming this year Ten." **Ten, a nickname she had gotten from Sid. No one was sure how she got it but she had got it and it stuck a few years back.

The trio sat in the SVU. Mac and Stella's hands intertwined and Bethany was in the backseat fidgeting with her necklace. **"It's a baby shower! Why do I need make up and a dress and this goddamn necklace that makes my neck itch?" **Bethany made a pouty face and wrinkled her nose wanting to take off the necklace. Both Mac and Stella shook their heads at her swearing but didn't say anything. She was almost 16 and there wasn't any point in it. **"Because you do Beth." **Stella shook her head and smiled, knowing that Bethany hadn't yet caught on to what was going on. **"Fine. Why's dad coming though?" **Bethany cocked her head knowing men didn't usually go to these things. Mac laughed, a baby shower, the cover story for their surprise. Leave it to Stella and Lindsay to come up with this. **"Keep Uncle Danny company. Now close your eyes." **Bethany did as she was told and shut her eyes. She even went as far as putting her hands over her eyes. **"Why? Is there a surprise?" **The 15 year old laughed, knowing her dad and Stella they did have some surprise going on. **"Kay. Open." **She heard the car doors open and her dad talking to someone. She opened her eyes and saw city hall. **"You two are getting hitched." **Bethany doubled over in laughter not at only the way she worded that sentence but at both her dad and Stella's looks. Both adults had their heads cocked and their eyes closed. That was one way to look at it. At least from a 15 year old's point of view. Stella starting laughing and Mac stood there not sure how to respond to his daughter. **"That's one way to think about it." **Mac wasn't sure if anyone heard him. The girls stopped laughing and looked at Mac. Stella stood there, not sure of what to say. **"It is. Well then let's go get hitched." **


End file.
